Inside The Bills

Some of the more prolific NFL passing offenses enjoy the presence of a big target or targets in their receiving corps. Denver (D. Thomas, E. Decker, J. Thomas), New Orleans (J. Graham), Detroit (C. Johnson), San Diego (A. Gates, L. Green) and Chicago (B. Marshall, A. Jeffery) were the top five passing offenses in football in 2013. Buffalo figures to be on the lookout to add size talent to their receiving corps, but there are two younger prospects in house that Doug Marrone believes could progress and challenge for a role on the 53-man roster.

“We have a player here in Kevin Elliott (6’3″ 205) who was having a good camp who is a big wide receiver,” said Marrone in an appearance recently on the John Murphy Show. “At the end of the year we moved Aaron Williams to I-R and wound up signing Cordell Roberson (6’4″ 205) to the (roster) from the practice squad and I think that was important. He’s another big receiver.”

Elliott, who was making plays in training camp tore his ACL in the preseason, and was placed on I-R for the 2013 season. Roberson joined the practice squad on Oct. 29th and was called up for the season finale, but was inactive.

A Florida A&M product, Elliott was an undrafted rookie signing of Jacksonville in 2012 and appeared in 13 games making 10 receptions in a bit role for the Jaguars before he was released and subsequently signed to Buffalo’s practice squad in December 2012. He had 173 career receptions for 1,742 yards and 20 TDs in college.

Meanwhile Roberson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland, was released prior to the regular season and spent a portion of the year on the practice squad of Carolina before joining the Bills this year.

The receiver finished his career at Stephen F. Austin University (2009-12) as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (221), receiving yards (3,191) and touchdown catches (39).

“We feel we have two big targets who can both run that we can implement into our offense,” said Marrone. “But Doug Whaley if he feels there is somebody available that he feels can better our football team in that regard then I’m sure it’s something he would look at.”